Seed-potato cutter



E. E. LAWRENCE.

SEED POTATO CUTTER.

APPLICATION man JULY 13,1922.

1,438,925, Patented Dec. 12, 1922..

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E. E. LAWRENCE.

SEED POTATO CUTTER..

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13.1922.-

1,438,925, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

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"ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 12, 192.2.

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Application filed July 13,

To all 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN E. LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Byron, in the county of Genesee and State of New York,have invented certain neW and useful Improvements in Seed- .PotatoCutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seed pototo cutters, and has for one of itsobjects to simplify and improve the construction and 111- ,crease theefliciency and utility of devices.

of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this charactercapable of cutting potatoes into two, four, or six portionswithoutstructural change of any kind in the apparatus. i

Another object of the invention is to proyieldable support for thepotatoes prior to the severing action. y i With these and other objectsin view the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionas hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out inthe claims and in the drawings illustrative of thepreferred embodimentof the invention:'

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of the improvedapparatus.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation in vertical. secvide a device of thischaracterincluding a tion on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a transverse section on the line 3 of Fig. 1..

Fig. 4; is a transverse section .on l-l of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a detached perspective view of the movable beam and. plungerdevices.

Fig. 6 represents perspective details of portions of a pair of thesevering blades.

The improved apparatus comprises a platform or base frame 10 supportedon legs 11, the frame being preferably of wood and the legs of metalL-bars.

Supported upon the base frame 10 is an upper rectangular supportingframe 12 preferably overhanging the base frame 10, as shown in Figs. 1and 2.

Supported in the frame 12 are a plurality of cutting blades, one blade13 extending longitudinally of the frame 12 and centrally thereof, and aplurality of similar blades 14 extending transversely of the frame 12and also transversely of the longitudinal. blade the line braceslS and19.

1922. Serial No. 574,775.

L and in spaced relation, as shown in F 1g. 3. f i

At their ends the blades 13 and 14 are seated in s ckets in the frame12, and halved? where they cross each other as shown in Fig. 6.

Rising from the frame 12 are. standards 15 and 16 and connected attheirupper ends by a head member 17 the standards being supported from theframe 12 by angular The standards 15 and 16 are formed respectively withlongitudh nally directed guideways 20 and 21 in which the reduced endsand 23 of a beam meniber 2 operates. I

Dependingfrom the beam 24 are a plurality of plunger devices 26 in theirlower ends to receive the cutting blades is and 15 when the beamcarrying the plungers is depressed.

'lhe plunger at the left is provided with one single i cess and islocated to cause its recess to passover the blade 13 to the left of thefirst transverse cutting member i l-and thus. adapted to sever apotatointo two portions. The intermediate plunger is iforrred with twoof the recesses intersecting at right anglesand located to pass over thelongitudinal cutting member 13' and likewise over the first transversecutting member 14 at the left and thus adapted to sever a potato intofour sections. i

The third plunger or the one at the right, is formed with onelongitudinal recess and two transverse recesses intersecting at rightangles and so located that when depressed. the hingitmlinal'rec ;s: willpass over the lon iitiidinal cuttin member 14 and the transverserecesseswill over the two transverse ei' ttingmembers at the right andthus sever the potato into six portions.

vll iounted on the frameLZ at the end of the eutting'niember13 areblocks 2'? and 28, and hingedlvmounted at 29, 30; 31 and 32 on theblocks are counter-balanced combined potato supporting and holdingmembers 33 and 34.

The confronting edges of the members 33 and 34 are in spaced relationand provided respectively with transverse slots 35 and 36 correspondingto the cutting members 14. The hinges of the members 33 and 34: arelocated nearer their inner or confronting edges so that the greaterweightis externally of the hinges, hence the members 33 having recesseseyes, it

and 84 willrest normally in horizontal position and bearing bytheirouter portions on the blocks 27 and 28, but adapted to be tilteddownwardly by the potatoes laid on their confronting slotted portions.Then when the latter are forced downwardly'by the action of theplungers, they will return by gravity to horizontal position when theplunger-s are returned to their upper position.

Rising from the beam 24: is a standard 37 supported from the beam bybraces '38' and slidable through a guideway 39' in the head 17. Springs40 are attached to the beam 2a and the head 1'7 and operate to hold thebeam 2 and its attached plungers yieldably in upper position and returnby gravity when the lever is released.

Pivoted at 41 on the standard 15 is an operating lever as, and extendingfrom the standard 87 is a roller 43 which the lever engages; The lever42 is guided by a rod 4A attached to the standard 16. By this means thebeam 24c'with its attachedplungers 25 may be moved downwardly againstthe resistance of the springs to, and automatically returned to itsupper or initial position when the pulling force on the lever isremoved.

if the potato to be severed is small and contains a limitednumber oieyes, it is placed upon the members 32' and 134i at the dividing linebetween the confronting edges of the members33 and 3a and above thelongitudinally directed cutter member 13 at the left, and the lever 42operated to move the beam 24. and its plungers downwardly and causingthe potato to tilt the confronting portions of the members and 3a downwardlv and divide the potato into two sections by contact with thecutting blade 13, and then when the lever is released the springs 4.0return the beam and its plungers into the upper positions, while themembers 33 and 3% also return by gravity to their horizontal or initialposition. If the potato is larger and contains a greater number ofdisposed upon the confronting portions of the members 33 and 3st wherethe clel'ts or recesses 85 and- 36 intersect the spaces between themembers 33 and M, as before described.

The members 38 and 3st serve effectually as supports for the potatoesand liOlClllllGHl in position for the action of the plungers.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensivelymanufactured, and of any required size by increasing'the number of theplunge-rs.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings'and set forth in the specification, but it will be understoo'd thatmodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe disposed hinged and counterbalanced combined potato supporting andholding'members suspended over and spaced from said cutters, saidmembers having their opposed sides slotted, and a vertically movableslotted plunger element for forcing the potatoes between said membersand against the cutters. 2. A potato cutting machine comprising ahorizontally disposed rectangular skeleton support, cutters extendingacross the opening formed by the support, a pair of. oppositely disposedhinged and counterbalanced combined potato supporting and holding mem--bers suspended over and spaced from said cutters, said members havingtheir opposed sides slotted, a vertically movable slotted plungerelement for iorcingthe potatoes between said members and against thecutters;

and spring controlled operating means for the plunger element.

3. A potato cutting machine comprising a horizontally disposedrectangular skeleton support, cutters extending across the openingi'ormed by the support, apair of oppositely disposed hinged andcounterbalanced combined potato supporting and holding inemherssuspended over and'spaced from. said cutters, said members having theiropposed sides slotted, a vertienily movable slotted plunger element forforcing the potatoes be tween said members and against the cutters,guiding means "for said plunger element, a spring controlled operatingmeans for the plunger element, and means for limiting the upwardmovement of the plunger element.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature hereto.

EVAN E. tawnnnon.

